Standardized Testing

Maybe it is because I'm studying for the PSAT right now (or at least trying to), but I have been finding all these required standardized testings to be unnecessary. I know colleges need some way of deciphering who is better fit for their college or who should qualify for scholarships, but I find so many tests to become so overwhelming. I know I speak for most when I say the whole college process has become very close and very stressful. I was listing out some requirements the colleges I'm looking at require: SAT, ACT, 2 SAT subject tests, and AP credits to redeem. I wish I would have started all this studying and test taking earlier. I feel like all these years, and you would think I would feel prepared, but no, of course not. Life's not that easy, and if it was I wouldn't be ranting right now. I know colleges need a system to "judge" us by, but can't they limit it to one test or base it over my academic achievements throughout the years? Kids' time is very limited and the last thing we want is something else we have to study or prepare for. I just wish they could take into consideration all of the other things our lives are filled with. I hope all this hard work pays off later. I would hate to be the one who regretted not putting enough effort into my high-school years and having to restart my planning process. Well as much as I would love to blab about how much I hate standardized testings and the whole college process, I think my time would be better spent if I went to go put some study time into my PSAT.

Living Up to Expectations

I found myself disagreeing with both pairs of readings we had. I'm not a big animal person since my family is all allergic to something except for myself. I found it hard to find any sympathy towards anything they were saying, but the articles that really stirred up my emotions were the ones on students in America.

The article "Blame the Students" was very controversial. I found myself disagreeing with much of what they were saying. I disliked the stereotypical viewpoints they had on different nationalities because there are always exceptions to these. I know of several middle-class Americans who have very strict work ethics and strive for nothing but the best. I am not an immigrant but I am of the "Asian race." I have strong work ethics and push myself to my limits. Even then, when I try my hardest, I still struggle to get as high of grades as I want or as well as the person sitting next to me. A lot of times we do blame it on the teacher, sometimes it applies and sometimes we just want to vent our frustration of ourselves on someone else. I still think we can blame the teacher though. You cannot say that if you have a high work ethic and a bad teacher you would get the same as a high work ethic and a good teacher. Your teacher does have a part of your grade and success. You need to have well-qualified people giving you correct information. In the documentary Two Million Minutes they gave statistics of how many science teachers were not even certified or were in the field of science, yet they are the ones giving us "knowledge" of this specific area. I think you have to be crazy to say that we don't have the right to blame the teacher if we're failing if they themselves don't even know the subject.

Another area in "Blame the Students" I found hard to take in was the choosing of classes. People do drop or switch classes for lower/easier standards. People have to realize we do this to suit our needs. Maybe our schedule is uneven or we have sports or activities we want to balance out so we can succeed in every aspect. It's not necessarily because we're lazy, but maybe it's because we fill our schedules to the maximum and we have to weigh our priorities. Everyone's priorities are layed out differently and we should respect everyone's rights and needs. I admire the fact that children in the documentary from India and China are such hard-workers but sometimes I wonder if they're really enjoying life. If you work so much, what are you working for? You won't have time to enjoy all your hard work. I believe myself to be a hard-worker and I want to be successful, but not to the extent where I work myself to tears. I want to see my hard-work and enjoy it while I can because life is too short for me not to. One thing I noticed in the documentary was the expressions and emotions from the kids in each country. I never saw the kids in India or China smiling, while the kids in America were bubbly, outgoing, and happy. I don't know about you, but why not enjoying life. I believe you should live it to the fullest and you can still work hard.

I liked these two works of literature. It gave me emotions and they were very controversial. I just think we should all find a balance in our own lives. We all live different lives with different morals and values. This makes it very difficult for us to judge what we should or shouldn't do. It's up to you. Live your life the way it suits you. You can take in what others say or not. Do what makes you happy :)